HEALING WATER: We have a winner!

Random.org, I mean - uh, my husband picked a number. And...

Peggy Reiff Miller, just won a copy of  
Healing Water: An Hawaiian Story!
Congratulations, Peggy!

From the flyleaf:   

Thirteen year-old Pia has never known his real father. But Kamaka, a family friend, has taught him how to work, explore, and take on physical challenges.Pia believes Kamaka is fearless. He never suspects that a time will come when Kamaka could actually be afraid of him. Neither does he expect his own body to betray him, or his government to tear him from his family and send him into exile.

When Pia finds himself abandoned on Molokai, Hawaii's leprosy settlement, he turns to the skills he learned from Kamaka to help him survive. But the conditions are harsh. Pia discovers he must choose between anger and aloha, revenge and forgiveness, his own wilfulness and the example of someone worthy of being like a father.

This fictional account was inspired by the experiences of many Hawaiians who were sent to Molokai's isolated Kalaupapa Peninsula, starting in 1866 and by the life of Father Damien deVeuster, who chose to live and work there in the late 1800s.

Here's the trailer.

Meanwhile, over at Joan Edwards' blog, someone else won a copy of Healing Water!

Video Glimpse into Father Damien of Molokai

In keeping with World Leprosy Week, I post this video narrated by Max Lucado - a glimpse into the life of Father Damien of Molokai. 

And in case you missed the news, I'm giving away a copy of Healing Water. See below.

  Linda Andersen hosted me over at her blog, A Writer's Playground. Comment there for a chance to win Healing Water, historical fiction that takes place in Hawaii's leprosy settlement.  Deadline is Saturday at midnight.

This Day in History: Father Damien Canonized

A year ago today Father Damien of Molokai was canonized at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. 

Damien was just 33 years old when he began his ministry to leprosy patients such as Pia, the character in my historical novel, Healing Water.

Sixteen years after his arrival Father Damien died from complications related to the disease. 

In the following clip Max Lucado tells Saint Damien's story.



Healing Water lends itself superbly to integrated learning experiences. You can find suggested learning activities here.

REMEMBERING FATHER DAMIEN

Today citizens of Hawaii and many others are remembering Father Damien of Molokai. It is the 137th anniversary of his arrival in Hawaii's leprosy settlement.

In honor of the day I want to share a story from one of the primary resources I used while researching Healing Water. News from Molokai is an exchange of letters between Peter Kaeo, a leprosy patient and his cousin, Queen Emma. Peter arrived in the settlement just 2 months after Father Damien did.  His letters were rich with amazing details I needed for my story.

"I rode Home and passing the Store, I heard the Natives saying that the Catholic priest was weeping.

"On inquiring I learned that Father Damien, for that is the name of the Reverend Gentlemen, had lost some checks which belong to the Natives, and which he Damien had taken the responsibility to take from Mr Rose and give it to the poor Natives that belongs to his church, and are too weak to appear personally to Mr Rose. The poor Man was so confused that he was picking [up] strips of Paper that was scatrered on the floor, asking the Natives whether they had seen any checks, and whether he had given checks to the Natives by mistake, and all sort of questions, and actually Crying."

Finding this passage was such a thrill. It demonstrates so powerfully the compassion of Father Damien and also reveals a flaw in his personality - he could be careless at times. Or perhaps it is more accurate to say that he was simply juggling too many responsibilities. Or that he was quick to drop whatever he was doing to answer a cry for help and in the process would lose track of what he'd set out to do.

Here's the account from Healing Water - from the viewpoint of Pia, my protagonist.

Father Damien was there, too, talking happily to the storekeeper until he realized he’d lost the checks he was holding for some of the patients. “Wait a minute,” he said. “I had them right here. I know I had them. Where could they be?”

He asked everyone in the store if we had seen them. I don’t know if someone else had, but I hadn’t. And everyone told him they hadn’t either.

By this time, Father Damien knew about the crime that went on in this place. “Who could have taken them?” he asked.

One of the children grabbed the priest’s hand and pointed to me. “Pia is a thief,” he said.

The priest came to me then and gripped my shoulders. “Have you seen those checks?” he asked. His eyes were filled with tears.

“No,” I said. I was ashamed for the Father to know that I had been one of the criminals in this place. “Please believe me. I do not steal anymore.”

Ah Loy came to my defense then. “Pia speaks true,” he said. “He is not Touch Hands now.”

After Father Damien turned away, he saw some paper lying on the floor. He grabbed it, hoping that it was one of the checks, but it was not. He searched in every corner of the store. “What will my poor children do without their allowance?” He rushed out the door and went to see the luna.

That’s how Father Damien was. He cared about every single one of us, and he knew we needed much more than our six dollars would buy.

MORE Q & A WITH MIDDLE SCHOOLERS FROM H.H. POOLE

Oneof these books is not about a disease.  Do you know which one?

1. Why do you write about diseases?

This is multiple choice. There could be more than one right answer. And no, you don’t want me to be your doctor.

A. I am a sick person.
B. I should have been a doctor.
C. I  probably have a fear of getting sick.
D. I am fascinated with the emotional aspects of illness and the way it changes people’s lives.

2. Who’s your favorite character in your books?

• Well, in every book, I’m always attached to my main characters.
• I think Imogene Wilfong in Blue is very cool.
• But I also happen to love Junior Bledsoe in Blue and especially in Comfort! He’s a very hot item you know. One of my readers sent me an email saying if her husband ever divorced her she was going to drive to North Carolina and track Junior Bledsoe down!

3. How did you get ideas for your stories?

There are so many fascinating hidden stories in history. When I'm working on one project I discover some story that grabs me by the heart and tries to drag me away with it. Usually I force myself to ignore it until I finish the project I’m on. But in the back of my brain a story begins to take shape and as quick as I can I go after it!

Example:  I was writing Vacation Bible School curriculum when I discovered Father Damien. I only needed a short story about leprosy for the curriculum.  But the research led me to more info and I wanted to do something longer with it. So I eventually wrote and published Healing Water, about a boy who is banished to Hawaii's leprosy settlement on the Kalaupapa Peninsula. He meets Father Damien there.

On the Kalaupapa Peninsula.

4. What was it like to go to Kalaupapa? 

I had to hike down a steep trail for a few miles. That was challenging. I had to hike back up. That was hard. The next day my legs hurt so badly I could barely walk.

Being there was cool but also a little bit frustrating because I wanted to roam freely and spend lots of time alone, getting to know the landscape and thinking about my story and my characters. But I had to stick to the guided tour and of course, there were other people around. I understand why people like me can’t just roam freely in this very private place but still, I wanted to.

Q & A WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AT VOYAGER ACADEMY

Photo courtesy of Voyager Academy Website.

Back in September I met Jenny Murray at a SCBWI Carolinas writing conference. Jenny is the curriculum director at Voyager Academy where she recently read BLUE with some of her middle school students.

The students - Alexis, Darith, Caroline, Courtney and Jake - tossed a few questions my way. I decided to answer them here.

1. What inspired you to write this book? (Blue)

Homework! I signed up for a history writing workshop and before I even went to the class, the instructor gave me an assignment to research a local story. So I called our history museum to get some ideas. I discovered that in 1944 North Carolina had a polio epidemic and that Hickory (with help from March of Dimes, Red Cross etc) had put together an emergency hospital in just 3 days. I started reading about that and the drama of people's lives being changed by polio, grabbed me.

2. Do you plan to continue to write about diseases?

Why do you want to know? Do you think I'm a little obsessed?

Hmmmm. Maybe, I am. My next book takes place in a mental hospital - so that kind of fits the pattern, doesn't it? I might actually be moving away from diseases. But I think my books will always be about tragedy and compassion. Not sure why, but some stories of pain grab me and make me tell them. Stories can be very demanding that way.

3. Do you plan to always write historical fiction?

Probably. But it doesn't matter what I plan, really. I sometimes think I'm going to write one thing and then, another story comes after me.

I actually began writing contemporary stories but I wasn't finding a publisher for them. Then I discovered Father Damien and the story of Hawaii's leprosy settlement and I got caught up in researching it. I was completely hooked. (So, although Healing Water was published after Blue, it was the one that helped me to realize that I'm a history writer.)

Now I know that history is my niche and that research is a never-ending adventure which I thoroughly enjoy. Hidden stories from the past are begging someone to tell them. Might as well be me.

I will tell you, though - that the book I'm working on now, actually has both a contemporary plot line and a historical one. So, see - I'm not all about dead people!

Thank for the questions!

Q & A WITH MIDDLE SCHOOLERS FROM VOYAGER ACADEMY

Photo courtesy of Voyager Academy Website.

Back in September I met Jenny Murray at a SCBWI Carolinas writing conference. Jenny is the curriculum director at Voyager Academy where she recently read BLUE with some of her middle school students.

The students - Alexis, Darith, Caroline, Courtney and Jake - tossed a few questions my way. I decided to answer them here.

1. What inspired you to write this book? (Blue)

Homework! I signed up for a history writing workshop and before I even went to the class, the instructor gave me an assignment to research a local story. So I called our history museum to get some ideas. I discovered that in 1944 North Carolina had a polio epidemic and that Hickory (with help from March of Dimes, Red Cross etc) had put together an emergency hospital in just 3 days. I started reading about that and the drama of people's lives being changed by polio, grabbed me.

2. Do you plan to continue to write about diseases?

Why do you want to know? Do you think I'm a little obsessed?

Hmmmm. Maybe, I am. My next book takes place in a mental hospital - so that kind of fits the pattern, doesn't it? I might actually be moving away from diseases. But I think my books will always be about tragedy and compassion. Not sure why, but some stories of pain grab me and make me tell them. Stories can be very demanding that way.

3. Do you plan to always write historical fiction?

Probably. But it doesn't matter what I plan, really. I sometimes think I'm going to write one thing and then, another story comes after me.

I actually began writing contemporary stories but I wasn't finding a publisher for them. Then I discovered Father Damien and the story of Hawaii's leprosy settlement and I got caught up in researching it. I was completely hooked. (So, although Healing Water was published after Blue, it was the one that helped me to realize that I'm a history writer.)

Now I know that history is my niche and that research is a never-ending adventure which I thoroughly enjoy. Hidden stories from the past are begging someone to tell them. Might as well be me.

I will tell you, though - that the book I'm working on now, actually has both a contemporary plot line and a historical one. So, see - I'm not all about dead people!

Thank for the questions!

Sunday Series: Heroes & Saints

The altar that Father Damien built for one of the churches on Molokai, HI.

I decided to make Sundays a day to blog about people who've accomplished great things. I was working on a post about Sister Elizabeth Kenny when I suddenly realized that today is Saint Damien's birthday.

So I'll continue the Sister Kenny post later. It's just as well since I was getting sidetracked into reading her biography all over again.

As for Father Damien, I've certainly blogged about him before and enough is enough, I suppose.

Father Damien Birthplace Museum which I visited in May 2007

So how about a few crucial dates from Damien's life, a few images, some info about his right hand, and a couple of links?

January 3, 1840 - Born in Tremeloo, Belgium
March 19, 1864 - Arrived in Hawaii
May 10, 1873 - Arrived in leprosy settlement on Molokai
April 15, 1889 - Died of complications related to leprosy

Aerial photo used with permission by James H. Brocker, author of The Lands of Father Damien. (A fabulous book!)

When Damien died in Hawaii's leprosy settlement, he was buried beside the church in this photo. But his homeland of Belgium wanted his body and in 1936, Franklin Roosevelt agreed to return it.

Then in 1995 when he was beautified (second step on journey to sainthood) the remains of his right hand were returned to Hawaii.

Damien's coffin now on display at his birthplace museum in Tremeloo, Belgium.

I used to imagine that they simply cut his hand off. But, when I visited the Damien Birthplace Museum, one of my Healing Water experts, Father Paul Macken explained. Damien's body arrived in Belgium in the coffin pictured above. When they opened the coffin, his body disintegrated. So they separated the remains into 11 zinc boxes. One of them contained the bones of his right hand.

Here are Google Image results for Damien - there are some really great ones.

And there is loads and loads of info along with a myriad of pictures at this Damien related blog.

Oh, and DO check out this virtual tour of some Damien sites. Don't be shy. Click on the word Flash to see a 360 degree image. (Unfortunately a few are labeled wrong and you get mules when you wanted to see Damien's birthplace but there are some fabulous images that are worth exploring!)

UNEXPECTED ALERT! (The good kind)

It's always fun to wake up to a Google Alert for a new review of my book.

Today the review was for Healing Water at a site called Yesterday's Young Adult Novels. What a neat concept to review the books that aren't the latest ones on the market but still worth reading!

Most of the reviews at this site are for out-of-print books published in the 1950's & 60's. I love vintage books and the covers on this site provided for a great nostalgia trip!

I'm not sure how Healing Water landed on this site since it's only 2 years old and still in-print.

But I feel quite lucky! The review was thorough and thoughtful and the somewhat mysterious blogger included links to a whole bunch of related sites on leprosy, Kalaupapa, Father Damien, his canonization, and more. Impressive!

Naturally I decided to follow Yesterday's Young Adult Novels.

TWO DAMIEN FILMS

Want to know more about Father Damien, the missionary priest to Hawaii who is being canonized on Sunday? Check out these movies!
Molokai: The Story of Father Damien was co-written by Hilde Eynikel who also wrote a book by the same title. Stars are David Wenham and Kate Ceberano.

An Uncommon Kindness is a documentary narrated by Robin Williams.

Both are informative, absorbing, and well worth your time. If your public library doesn't have them, it's always worth asking. Chances are, they will order upon request.

SMILE: FATHER DAMIEN WAS HERE!

If you were a leprosy patient shipped off to the Kalaupapa Peninsula, separated from home and family, would you be smiling?

I'm not exactly sure which of the residents of Kalaupapa painted these rocks. Or when. Likely a century after Father Damien lived and died.

But I do know that ever since he came, there have been more smiles on the Kalaupapa Peninsula.

And on Sunday, October 11, 2009 when Pope Benedict presides over his canonization, there will be lots of celebrating!

SAINT DAMIEN: He made it easier to believe.

Children's art work depicting scenes from Father Damien's life - on display in the Damien Birthplace Museum in Tremelo, Belgium.

Confession: I don't really like the word "saint". It conjures up images of people too religious to be any earthly good. But if the Vatican has decided that Father Damien is a saint, then there must be another definition at work.

Because that man did a world of good.

He offered compassion to the desolate leprosy patients of Hawaii. He empowered them to improve their situation, hassled them as needed, and shared his food and pipe with them. He gave his life for them. He got their disease.

Before him, there'd been a few non-patients who lived or did religious work in the settlement but they were either transient or came as helpers to family members . Father Damien was the first to voluntarily stay in Kalawao and serve all its residents. He inspired others to do the same.

Joseph Dutton showed up one day, said he'd come to help, and proceeded to spend the rest of his life (45 more years) on the six squares miles of Kalaupapa Peninsula.

Dutton describes his first encounter with Father Damien.

He was now a leper in the advanced stage... The Father talked eagerly,... he called me "Brother," as I had come to stay, and gave me at once the full care of two churches. He was full of plans that morning, talking of what he wished for the lepers.

Joseph Dutton was a striking figure - a tall muscular man in a blue demin suit. He was neat and clean even after a "hot dusty trip."

There was little water in the leprosy settlement and Father Damien constantly hustled from one menial task to another. He was impulsive and careless about appearances so he must've looked like a mess much of the time. Probably the sort of person a lot of us would pull away from.

Brother Dutton wrote of him:

There were times when one did not care to be too much with Father Damien; that should be said. But there was love between us. This is not to say that our tastes and personal habits were the same, it would not be correct to say that.

He goes on to talk about repugnances. He doesn't get specific but I suspect that Father Damien never looked like the white robed, haloed image that seems to go with sainthood.

I'm not entirely sure what all defines a saint in the Catholic tradition. I know there must be evidence of a holy life and also of miracles.

In my tradition, a saint is someone who lives what he believes. As William Barclay put it, "A saint is someone whose life makes it easier to believe in God."

Just one reason why Father Damien will become Saint Damien on October 11, 2009. And it also explains why he inspired me to write Healing Water!

Quotations from The Heart of Father Damien by Vital Jourdain, S.S. C.C.

IN SEARCH OF FATHER DAMIEN

It's a big week in Louvain, Belgium where Father Damien's remains are interred. A few years ago, Chuck and I visited that spot in conjunction with my research for Healing Water, a historical novel that takes place in Hawaii's leprosy settlement.

This is the church building with the crypt in the lower level. I don't have a good picture but you can see one in this issue of the Maui News. There was a special mass at the cathedral today.
Father Paul Macken, a Damien expert met us there and answered questions that would help me be accurate in my story telling and and in the author note in the back of the book.

He drove us then to Tremelo to visit Damien's birthplace and museum where we got a glimpse of the way he lived.

KITV in Honolulu is covering the event. Lots of links on this KITV website.

Pamela Young of KITV and 200 others from Hawaii are on a pilgrimage to Belgium and Italy, then back to Kalaupapa. Eleven of the pilgrims are former Hansen's Disease patients from the Kalaupapa, Peninsula where Father Damien served.

Pamela is blogging about the experience here.

IN CELEBRATION OF FATHER DAMIEN'S CANONIZATION

On Sunday, October 11 (a mere 6 days from now) Joseph DeVeuster (Father Damien) will be canonized.

I've decided to celebrate with a Damien/Molokai, Hawaii-related post each day this week. There are so many options it's hard to know where to begin. But why not with one of the books that I relied on so heavily during my research?

I love The Lands of Father Damien by James H. Brocker because it has so much heart and lots of history. Of course, the history can be found in many places. But the heart of this book is not easily duplicated.

I felt the aloha here the moment I opened its pages. And later when I met author Jim Brocker at his store on topside Molokai, I understood why. He is truly an unassuming and generous person!

One of the real gifts Jim gave me in this book was a feeling for the landscape of the Kalaupapa Peninsula where my story, Healing Water takes place. It is chock full of Jim's vivid photography with informative captions as well as vintage photos from the time of Father Damien. One example is this photo which Jim graciously permitted me to include on my website.

Also, on my website is a video clip of Catherine E. Toth's visit to the Kalaupapa Peninsula on Molokai, HI. You may want to check that out!

NEW BOOK ON FATHER DAMIEN

Today is the release date for FATHER DAMIEN: A Bit of Taro, A Piece of Fish, and A Glass of Water.

"A book about Father Damien,

from the perspective of the people of Kalaupapa

who knew him and worked alongside him."

I just ordered my copy from IDEA.

Co-author, Anwei Law gave me critical feedback on Healing Water at the manuscript stage. I know she had reservations about a mainlander writing on the subject of Kalawao and Father Damien. But at least she was willing to help me improve my work.

I can't wait until her book arrives in my mailbox!

I'm certain it will fill an important quest for knowledge about Father Damien as the day of his canonization approaches. (Oct. 11, 2009)

THE MAKING OF A SAINT

Artwork created by children to honor Father Damien. This hangs in his birthplace museum in Tremeloo, Belgium.

A saint is someone whose life makes it easier to believe in God.

Perhaps this quote by William Barclay sums up why I wrote Healing Water.

I was inspired by Father Damien, a Catholic priest who in 1873, chose to live among Hawaii's leprosy patients. The Kalawao leprosy settlement was filling with people who were taken from family and friends in hopes of protecting others from their disease.

The outcast leprosy patients did not have their basic needs provided so they went into survival mode. Then Damien arrived and his compassion helped transform the settlement from a place of hopelessness to a real community.

Eventually Damien himself contracted leprosy. And while leprosy itself, doesn't kill a person, its complications do. In 1889, after 16 years of sharing his skills and compassion with Hansen's Disease patients, Father Damien died.

After decades of consideration, the Vatican has decided that Damien is indeed a saint. This means his life has been scrutinized and 2 miracles have been attributed to his intervention.

On October 11, 2009 Damien will be canonized.

Not to argue with the Vatican, but as far as I'm concerned, Father Damien was a saint simply because of the life he lived in Kalawao. Everything I've read, indicates that his presence there led many to believe in God.

TUESDAY 2: Two Out of Town Events

1. Drove to Burlington at the crack of dawn to speak to 5th - 8th graders at Blessed Sacrament School. It was my first visit to a Catholic School. They kids were great! Staff also. And Marybeth, the parent volunteer who made the arrangements was wonderful! I hope to visit more Catholic Schools. It seems a natural connection because of Healing Water and also the fact that Father Damien (who inspired the book) will be canonized this year!

2. Stopped in Greensboro at Guilford College Friends Historical Collection to research my work-in-progress. Lots of great photos, old newsletters, and diaries. I always feel a bit panicky in archives when I see how much material there is and how fast the clock is ticking! Thank goodness, for my digital camera which saves a lot of note taking!
Decades worth of diaries here but none for the time period I needed. How could that be?

TODAY, YESTERDAY, LAST NIGHT

Healing Water was inspired by Father Damien who volunteered to live in Hawaii's leprosy settlement.

1. Today is Damien Day. May 10 is the anniversary of the day that Father Damien began his ministry to Hawaii's leprosy patients.

2. Yesterday, I thought I was meeting friends, Carol Baldwin and Shelley Worman at El Paso's for some great Mexican food before we attended the Blue play. Then, Shelley's grandchild decided to come a month early so it turned out to be just me and Carol. At least that's what I thought. But when I arrived I found a small crowd. The core group were NC school teachers and media specialists who took an NCCAT class Carol and I taught last fall. There were a few spouses and other family members. Great folks! I was slightly flustered by this unexpected gathering in my honor. And humbled that each of them drove 1 - 3 hours to get here. It was so fun to be with them again but there wasn't nearly enough time to catch up! Thank you! Thank you! And Shelley, I missed you, but congratulations on the grandchild!

3. Last night, when I came home from the play, there was a rose bush on my kitchen table. And cards from the grandchildren. You've got to love it when the two year-old dictates a card to his grandmother that says Happy Birthday, BopBop! I don't blame Solomon for being smitten with his grandpop. (After all, I am too.) But still, the way I see it, that little fellow owes me a Father's Day card!

ANOTHER HISTORIC DEATH

This seems to be the week for me to write about the deaths of great men. First FDR and now Father Damien of Molokai. My book Healing Water was initially inspired by Father Damien. He was the Catholic priest who chose to live among Hawaii's leprosy patients. As I researched, I realized the story was so much bigger than this one man. But still, he was such an incredible man. Pia, my protagonist gives us a glimpse of him.

I looked at Father Damien, and for the first time I thought about his family. It must have been a long time since he had seen them—it was now nearly ten years since that day when I first saw him get off the ship in Honolulu. That was before the government had even created this leprosy prison.

Why had he come to Hawai‘i? And especially to Moloka‘i?

"Did that bishop send you here?" I asked him.

The Father stopped digging and looked at me then. "The bishop asked several of us to take turns," he said. "And so I volunteered."

"Oh." I wondered if that meant he would be leaving after all. "When will it be someone else’s turn?" I asked. "Will you go back to Kohala?"

Father Damien shook his head. "I cannot leave my children in these conditions."

"But you don’t have leprosy. What if you never get to leave?"

Damien turned away from me then, and I saw his eyes moving about, looking over the scattered cottages of Kalawao. "If I never leave this place," he said softly, "I will be the happiest missionary in the world."

Happy? In Kalawao? Never seeing his family again? Never traveling to Honolulu or Kohala? How could anyone love God that much? How could anyone love me that much? I just didn’t understand.

"Pardon me for the questions, Father, but, but … do you plan to die here?"

Damien looked up to the pali then, and I could see that he was remembering something. "I died before I came," he said. "When I took my religious vows, I prostrated myself before the altar and my brothers placed a funeral shroud over me. On that day I died to my own will. God’s will became my will."

These words from my novel are based on a letter Damien wrote to his brother soon after his arrival.

"So remembering that on the day of my profession I had already put myself under the funeral pall, I offered myself to his lordship to meet, if he thought it well, this second death."

The truth is, Father Damien did contract leprosy. And then, some time after he knew he had leprosy, he wrote home again.

"The joy and contentment of heart... make me consider myself the happiest missioner in the world. Consequently, the sacrifice of my health...appears after all but a slight affair, and even profitable for me."

On April 15, 1889 Father Damien died of complications related to leprosy.

On October 11, 2009 he will be canonized. From that day on he will officially be Saint Damien.

MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOKCLUB

I read each of my books countless times while writing. Then come copyedits and proofreading and I read and reread until I never want to see the thing again. For awhile, just before it goes to the printers, I hate my book.

But then I have a delightful lunch with a mother-daughter book club who has just read it and the discussion makes me think, That book sounds pretty good. Maybe I'll read it!

That's how I felt today. The lunch was in the home of a gal who was ten when she attended my wedding. Now she has a lovely teen daughter and three sweet sons. The table was set entirely in white with white narcissus and a copy of Healing Water on the table. So of course I went running back to the car for my camera.
The food was delish! I tried to not to talk with my mouth full!
We discussed leprosy and the misconceptions surrounding it, Father Damien and the change he brought to Hawaii's leprosy settlement, other characters and what inspired them.

Hannah read a quote from the book. I suppose the sun did not shine more after Father Damien arrived but sometimes it seemed that way. I think that sentence sums up why I wanted to write this story.

We also talked about ideas for pursuing publication. I got the distinct feeling there are several writers in this group. I hope they keep honing their skills, attend writer's conferences, and stay in touch with me!

Thanks Ashley, Abigail, and friends! And thanks to all for the fragrant gifts! It was a rainy day but in the tradition of Father Damien, you made it feel all sun shiny!